Hong Kong speeds up low carbon drive with new clean air plan

HONG KONG, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong published Tuesday a new clean air plan with measures from reducing transport emissions to using new air quality-monitoring technologies in an effort to make itself a more livable and low carbon world-class city.

The new plan will lead Hong Kong to be a more livable city with air quality on par with major international cities by 2035, Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said.

Six major areas were highlighted in the plan, including green transport, emissions reduction, clean energy and scientific management.

"In view of the challenges brought by climate change, it has become a global trend to explore the use of the latest green technologies to reduce carbon emissions," Wong said, adding that Hong Kong will progressively tighten its air quality targets every five years.

Hong Kong initially issued a clean air plan in 2013 and updated major goals four years later. A series of measures have been implemented since then.

The government said major goals have been attained by 2020, with significant drops in ambient and roadside concentrations of major air pollutants and great improvement in air visibility.